14.

SYSTEM REBOOT. TIME REMAINING: 12:46:54

Administrator override. Initiate scan index for radical subject A61.

_SCAN IN PROGRESS.

_SUBJECT DETECTED.

Run observation program command: SEPTEMBER. Set for retrieval mode.

_OBSERVER EN ROUTE. IMPUT REASON FOR MEASURE, Y/N?

n.

"Were are we going?" Peter asked his father at last.

"Up, I can only assume," Walter answered simply, as he shut the face panel of the computer, and the elevator doors slid shut.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know."

Peter's eyes narrowed, "You have to know. You can't just hack an unfamiliar system an not know. How do you know all of this, about the amnesia disks, the way to the elevator, and a way to hack in?"

Walter shrugged, "Why don't you shave?"

Peter's face seemed frozen in abrupt shock.

"More for the matter," Walter mused, rubbing his own chin, "Who keeps me clean shaven?"

"Peter's right," Astrid said seriously, "Judging by this system, it's not an easy thing to hack. I couldn't even do it, and it's my job. Walter, I know there's something you're not telling us. You've always known something."

Walter seemed uncomfortable, in his corner of the brightly lit elevator, like an out-of-place shadow, "The elevator is stopping."

"What?"

There was the slight lurching feeling of weightlessness, and the elevator slowed. Peter, Olivia, and Astrid glanced at each other in silent alarm, and Walter only seemed to wedge into his corner more, with a soft murmur of "Oh, dear."

Olivia nodded to Peter to take a stance on the opposite side of the ingress, and he obeyed as they stood at the ready, as there was a soft chiming noise that sent shivers down their spines. Astrid swallowed with worry, taking to the vacant back corner.

The reflective steel doors slid open mutely to give a view into a long, white hallway that resembled that of an empty hospital ward, obscured only by a dark, singular form. His appearance was so disarming that they only stood perfectly still, staring.

He was human enough, save his paper-white complexion, which seemed to glow against his dark suit. As he stepped forward, and his flawless face was completely devoid of expression, even lacking eyebrows or hair which might have hinted at a personality.

"Hello," he said tonelessly, and raised a pistol in his hand. There was a flash of light and a harsh, high whirring noise, and Walter slumped against the back wall of the elevator lifelessly. The pale stranger stepped forward into the small room, stooping to grasp Walter by the collar and turn, dragging him out, "excuse me."

At last, Peter jumped to his senses, starting after him, "Hey! Walter!"

The blank stranger turned, firing another shot into Peter's chest, expelling him back into the elevator. Olivia exclaimed, stooping to his fallen form to shake him.

Astrid looked up at the pair disappearing down the hall, calling, "Walter!" as the elevator doors slid shut.

xXx

The lights marking each floor passed wordlessly as Peter twisted on the floor, "Jesus Christ," he managed at last, raising his hand to his chest, touching Olivia's.

"There's no bullet, and you aren't dead," Olivia smiled, "I don't know what kind of weapon that was, but I've never seen anything like it."

"I've never even seen a person like that," Astrid said, shaking her head, "and Walter…"

Peter sat up quickly, ignoring the bruise, "Where's Walter? What happened to him?" he demanded.

"That guy just took him. He shot you, and the doors shut before we could do anything," Olivia replied, "I'm sorry, Peter."

Peter muttered a curse under his breath, "Just like the old bastard to go off and leave me again."

Olivia and Astrid looked at each other, "Peter, is Walter really your father? Or are you just letting him think what he wants to think about you?"

Peter sighed, and was silent for a few moments. "I don't know. Really, I don't. but… I don't know, this is all so crazy, I don't know what to make of it."

"Just talk, Peter," Olivia said.

"Look, it doesn't matter. We all have to get out of here, you said it yourself," Peter said shortly.

"But why Walter?" Astrid said, "That guy could have taken any of us, even all of us, while we just stood there. Why Walter?"

"I don't know!" Peter snapped, "I don't even know the guy, okay?! I was in the middle of a security scam when I ended up here, alright?!"

"Security scam?" Olivia questioned.

"Yeah. I was hired to construct a bunch of systems for a few major corporations. I'd planned on cracking the systems afterward and disappearing with a bit of their cash. I've done it before, no one else caught on," Peter said, for an unexplainable reason feeling suddenly ashamed of his actions. He didn't even seem the same person, anymore…

Astrid was staring at him, "You bastard- it was you!"

xXx

September propped his listless captive against the wall, kneeling as he delved into his dark coat, drawing out a short, squat hypodermic. He bit the protective plastic cover on the needle and pulled it off, spitting it away. Carefully, he pressed the thick, cold steel tube into Walter's neck, squeezing the clearish-pink contents into his bloodstream.

September removed the needle quickly as Walter stirred, coughing as he raised his hand to his chest. He blinked his eyes open, and squinted on instinct, "I've turned off the security lighting in this sector," September informed him, "And I am, as you, perfectly capable of nocturnal navigation."

"That's nice of you," Walter coughed, sitting up to rub his sore chest, "but you didn't have to shoot me."

"Swiftness was elementary in your extraction from the other subjects," September answered. He was silent for a few moments, as Walter cleared his head, "are you well, Dr. Bishop?"

"You shot me, September."

"You remember me."

"Your name, anyways. The details of our previous engagements seem to escape me," Walter admitted, raising his shirt to look down at the oval-shaped bruise near the middle of his chest, "Jeezy-chreezy. Nice shot."

"You were at point-blank range," September said dismissively, "Walter, do know where you are?"

"Yes… and no. Where are the others?"

"They have arrived in section five. Elevator seven-forty-five does not go to the surface, it would be a foolish flaw in design."

"So this place is underground."

"More or less," September responded, certain that the admittance of this fact would neither hinder nor help their chances of escape, "We are in section ten. Do you know what section ten is, Walter?"

"Observation deck. Did you hurt them?" Walter asked, unable to manifest much malfeasance in his aching state.

"They will survive," September said, "what do you remember about this place, Walter?"

"Nothing, really. Have I ever been here?" Walter asked, and September stood, offering him a hand up.

"You have been here a great many times," September said, as Walter took his offered help, standing, "However, I cannot extend much to you in the details. Please follow me."

"You're the one that was editing us, on the thread," Walter said as he fell into step behind him, "aren't you?"

"You know that."

Walter nodded, catching up to walk at September's side, "There's a lot about you that I know, I think. And you me. But I can't remember it, I fear."

"Things will become clearer soon, I assure you," September responded, "this is all going to end soon."

Walter was silent, deciding not to voice his unfinished questions.

The heels of September's shoes snapped on the floor tiles sharply down the empty halls, the echoes softened by the footfalls of Walter's bare feet shuffling along, "It's awfully white, in here," Walter muttered disapprovingly, "I don't much like white."

"You never did," September conceded.

It appeared that, at last, Walter had decided on a question, "Who shaves me?" he asked.

"I do not know. This way," September said, turning to open a door. He allowed Walter to enter before him.

"Do you shave?"

September did not answer him as they stepped onto a round lift, and he pressed a button, the lift quickly descending into the floor. September looked over at Walter, who only smiled at him, "You've changed," September said.

"Oh? How so?"

September returned his attention to the lighted numbers above the lighted lift door, "Never mind." September's memories strayed to a different man that had stood beside him in the same way, an arrogant, cruel man… a man that he hated.

They reached their desired floor and departed from September's cold memories, making their way down a smaller, narrower hall, open doors branching away at either side. Their objective was the double-doors at the far end, and September stopped Walter as they neared, "It will be bright," he warned.

"Thanks for the heads-up," Walter smiled.

September had to shake the eerie feeling of fear from himself as he pushed open the doors, giving way onto a wide, steel-mesh plateau that surrounded a large, open, glass tank of dark water, abysmally deep and circular. Thousands of blue, humming computer screens faced in on the tank, awaiting input.

Walter seemed impressed as he examined the monitoring machinery that lined the walls, all attached to the water-filled cylinder in the middle of the sub-leveled room, "Wow. What's all of this?"

"You made it," September said emotionlessly.

"Did I? What's it for?" Walter smiled, obviously thinking the entire affair a joke.

"Forgetting." September approached Walter as he was looking over the edge of the deck into the open top of the cylinder.

No. He couldn't. He'd kill him, if he went against him…

September gripped Walter by the throat and thrust him over the edge of the sublevel. Walter exclaimed and struggled, clawing at September's outstretched arm, his eyes wide with surprise.

For once, September's face gathered with remorse, "I'm sorry. You seem like a good man, now." he said quietly, and released his captive to plummet into the tank, thrashing as he sputtered and gasped at the surface. September took aim with his pistol and fired, Walter letting out a cry and falling silent as he drifted from the surface and down into the murky depths of the water, blood swirling like red threads from the wound, dead center between his eyes.

The countless screens flickered on, like thousands of eyes watching him drift. September's jaw set, as he moved to the main console.

xXx

REBOOT SUSPENDED. TIME REMIANING: --:--:--

_COMMAND: SEPTEMBER CURRENTLY SUSPENDED.

System request: state admin. authority for suspension.

_ADMIN. CURRENTLY UNAVALIBLE. COMMAND: SEPTEMBER CURRENTLY RADICAL.

What the hell are you doing, September?

_REQUEST UNRECOGNIZED.

Do not wake him up, September, I'm warning you.

_REQUEST UNRECOGNIZED.

_FEED START FILE 000. INICIATE RECALL SEQUENCE, Y/N?

n. What the hell are you doing?!

_ADMIN. UNRECOGNIZED. REQUEST UNRECOGNIZED. BEGINNING RECALL SEQUENCE FILE 000.

Administrator command: abort recall sequence.
_ADMIN. UNRECOGNIZED. REQUEST UNRCOGNIZED. FORIEGN FEED DETECTED. PREPARING TO TERMINATE. SYS. CODE: 1974.

Septemb

_FEED TERMINATED.

xXx